Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI)

Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE:JCI) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Traders purchased 19,207 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 1,963% compared to the average volume of 931 call options.

Johnson Controls International Price Performance

Shares of Johnson Controls International stock opened at $63.77 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $61.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $56.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.24. Johnson Controls International has a one year low of $47.90 and a one year high of $70.43.

Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.51. Johnson Controls International had a return on equity of 13.08% and a net margin of 7.85%. The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.67 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Johnson Controls International will post 3.61 EPS for the current year.

Johnson Controls International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 25th will be issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 22nd. Johnson Controls International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson Controls International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JCI. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the first quarter worth about $25,000. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Certified Advisory Corp purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the first quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson Controls International in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on JCI shares. HSBC lowered Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $60.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Mizuho lowered Johnson Controls International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $62.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $60.00 target price (down from $65.00) on shares of Johnson Controls International in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. TheStreet raised Johnson Controls International from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 26th. Finally, Melius Research reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Johnson Controls International in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $64.50.

About Johnson Controls International

Johnson Controls International plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in engineering, manufacturing, commissioning, and retrofitting building products and systems in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Building Solutions North America, Building Solutions EMEA/LA, Building Solutions Asia Pacific, and Global Products.